Trolley conveyer



Oct. 5, 1937. I 1 .71. BISHOP 2,095,022

TROLLEY CONVEYER Filed Nov. l24, 1934 3 Sheets-Sheet l FIGA.

FIG.2.

INVENTOR LEONARDJBISHOP ATTO RN EYS,

Oct. 5, 1.93 7.

L. J. BISHOP TROLLEY CONVEYER s sheetE-sheet 2 y' Filed NOV. 24, 1934 LEONARD J.B1sHoP BY www #wm ATTORNEYS Ot. 5, 1937. 1 BISHOP 2,095,022

TROLLEY CONVEYER Filed Nov. 24. 1934 5 Sheets-Sheetf 3 INVENTOR LEoNARoJBlsHoP WLL ATTORNEYS Patented Oct. 5, 1937 Y TROLLEY CONVEYER Leonard J.V Bishop, Detroit, Mich., assignor to Mechanical Handling Systems, Inc., Detroit,

Mich., a corporation of Michigan Application November 24, 1934., Serial No. 754,660

3 Claims.

The invention relates to conveyers of that type in which trolley wheels having a traveling engagement with an overhead track are connected to depending hangers which support the load and which are also engaged with a'chain forming the propelling means therefor. Heretofore various constructions of this type have been devised with the objects of improved operation, simplied construction and adaptability to the various purposes for which such conveyers are used. Thus in certain constructions the hangers are connected to the propulsion chain by means of a shank which passes centrally through one of the chain links and has connected at its lower end the load supporting means.V It is the object of the present invention to improve upon this construction and to this end the invention consists in the construction as hereinafter set forth.

Inthe drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a trolley hanger of my improved construction showing the same in connection with the supporting track and the propulsion chain;

Fig. 2 is a vertical cross Ysection on line 2-2, Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on line 3--3, Fig. 1; A Y

Fig. 4 is a perspective View of one section of the trolley hanger;

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. l showing a modiiiedconstruction;

Fig. 6 is a vertical cross section thereof;

Figs. 7 and 8 are horizontal sections respectively on lines 1--1 and 8-8 of Fig. 5;

Figs. 9 and 10 are perspective views of two complementary portions of the hanger detached;

Fig. 11 is an elevation illustrating diagrammatically the reaction load on the hanger due to change in direction of the rail and the propulsion chain;

Fig. 12 isa plan View illustrating the manner of detaching links from the chain;

Figs. 13, 14, and 15 are sections respectively on lines I3-l3, Ill-I4, and |5-7-l5 of Fig. 12.

As illustrated in Figs. 1 to .4, A is a track shown as formed of an I-beam; B are trolley wheels for engaging the opposite channels of the I-beam and for traveling on the lower flange thereof. C' and C are complementary hanger members having their upper ends pivotally supported on the trolley wheels B and with lower portions D, D' abutting against each other and secured by clamping bolts E. Instead of passing the portions D, D centrally through a link in the propulsion chain, these portions are fashioned to embrace a link so as to be effectively secured thereto when clamped by the bolts E. As shown in Fig. 3, the chain link F which is attached to the hanger is formed with end portions F having a vertical rocking engagement with the side bars of theadjacent links GV and is connected `InV thereto by pins H passing through slots I. termediate the end portions F is an integral connecting portion F2 which is of lesser width. This portion is embraced by the portions D and D' of the "hanger which to that endare provided with return bent portions J tting about the portion F2 and located in. the recesses between the end portions F. The outer faces of theportions D and D are preferably substantially flush with the outer faces of the end portions F' Vto therebyavoid impact with the guiding rolls and sprockets during the advancement of the chains. The clamping bolts E are on opposite sides of or above and below these return bent portions J and thus when the two hanger members are clamped toY eachother there will bek formed `an efective'connection between the hanger andthe link'F. This connection may be rigid or loose depending upon conditions, but as shown in the present instance the connection is rigid.A The portions D and D' have at` their lower ends the integral yload supporting portions D2 which are spaced ap-art and are in the rnature of furcations adapted to engage the hook or other support for carrying the load.

The construction as above described can be PATENT oFlflcl?.ffl

easily connected to a conveyer already installed, 5

as the hanger sections C, C with their trolley wheels B-may be engaged with the track A and the portions J can at the same time be engaged .with the portion F2 of the link F. It is then only necessary to engage'the clamping boltsE which Will hold the complementary sections together and in predetermined'fixed or loose relation to the chain link. Y

For different uses, it may be necessary to vary the distance between the trolley wheels and the chain. I have therefore formed a modiedconstruction in which the portions of the hanger which embrace the chain link are separately formed from the portions which engage the trolley Wheels. As shown in Figs. 9 andlQ, a. bracket portion K which engages the trolleywheel is separate from a member L which embraces vthe link F and this Ymember L is of a substantially H-shaped construction having the upwardly and downwardly extending spaced arms L L,YL2L2 and a connecting bridge portion L3,

beneath the end portion of the link F which are of greater width. The bracket portion'K is alsol Y provided Ywith extensions K at its lower end corresponding to the portions L4 but arranged above the link F. Also, the brackets K have their outer sides channeled as indicated at K2 to receive the arms L' L of the member L. The members K thereinand isclamped by a nut M.

lastdescribed construction, it is obvious that .the Vmembers K and L may bevaried in relative position by cutting off the ends of the extensions L andsuitably locating the apertures for the bolt rand L are then secured to each other by a bolt M which passes through` registering apertures With this M. In that way, the' distance between thertrolley wheels and the chainY may bey altered, asdesired.V Y'

Where the direction of they track-.is changed,

. it isnecessary to correspondingly Vchangethe direction ofthe propulsion chain. This may be ac.- complished by the placing of guide rolls N in suitable positions as indicated in dotted-'lines inf- 'additional reactionY load is placed upon the hangers. `Thisvis illustrated in Fig. 11 in which A is the vertically curved rail or track; O, O', O2 are three trolley hangers atdiierent points therearound. As the chain F3 tends to pull in a straight line,V it is evident that a reaction load is placed `on'the hanger at the location O', the magnitude/of which relative to theV pull on the chain is indicated bythe dotted lines. `With my Y improvedformof Vhanger this load is transmitted from'the chainY link to the hanger through the return bent portions 'J and without any shearing stress on the bolts E. y Y

. The chain F3 is preferably of the type in which the links F are coupled tothe alternate spaced bar links G by pins H Vhaving integral T-heads H' at their opposite ends. These members may be assembled by passing the heads H' through 1 the slots I in the link F and slots G in the links G and then turning the heads Hf out of registration with the'slots. However, to h'old the pins in position the heads H' are engaged with transversely extending recesses G? in the members G and to' permit of such engagement the link F' at the inner end of the slot I must be cut away or reduced in thickness. This permits of turning the heads H into registration with said slots G2 after which thepin is'moved to the outer end of the slot I Where the end portions F of the link force the members G'cutward into locked engagement with the recesses G2.. One diiilculty encountered in the forming of the structure as just'described is that the central portion 'F2 of the link F'isrreduced in width to receive the return bent portions J olf-the hanger and this precludes extending the slots I inward intoV suchportion. This in turn necessitates the cutting away oflthe thickness of the-link vI afsuficient' distance outwardbeyond the innerv endkof said'slots, so that when the'links G" are turned ,at right angles to Y the link I, they may be collapsed or moved in- Y ward to di'sengage the heads Hfrom the recesses I have G2Y and permit of turning said heads.'Y

` therefore reduced the length of the end portions F' so thatv they only extend inward from the end of the link to a point in the transverse plane of theraxjs of the pin H when at the outer end of the slot I. The heads F` thus formed will still perform the function of holding the side bars of the links G spaced with the heads H'r.

locked inthe recesses G2 and will further permit the relative rocking of the links F and G in a vertical plane as necessitated by curvature of the.

chain in such plane and as illustrated in Fig. 11.

Thus as illustrated in Figs. 12 to 15,-the links of the chain can easily 'be-'detached or new links inserted and at` thelsame time the construction- "is such that the central portion F2 ofthe link F Vis of suilicient length to receive the portions J of the hanger.

What'I claim as my invention is: 1. In a trolley conveyer, the combination with a track, trolley wheels for engaging said track and a propulsion chain, ofi hangers for said trolley. wheelsiormed in separable telescopically engageable sections extending :respectively above and below said chain, one of'said sections being adapted to embrace one of the links of said chain and to then overlap and telescopically engage the other of said' telescopicA sections, and means'for securing said sectionsrtogether with a predetermined distance between said trolley wheels'rand chain. v Y v y 2. In a trolley conveyer chain of the type comprisingsolid, longitudinally slottedlinkskalter-VY nating with links formed of spaced side vbars also longitudinally slotted, togetherk with headed pins for insertion through the slots of said links inone position and :having [interlocking engagement l with said, spaced side'bars when in another position.; alsolid linkprovided witha central-portion reduced Vin width for'the external engagement of a trolley hanger and forming end thrust shoul-v ders at oppositeendsof said reduced portion, Vthe slots inV said link being limited in' length to be only in the' end portionsrwhichare of greater width, the thickness of the 'outer end portions of;

said link being sufiicient to hold said spaced side bars in interlocking engagement with the'heads of said pins and a portionY of said link intermedi- Y ate said outer end portions being reduced in thickness to permit of collapsing said side bars for engagement and disengagement of said pins, said portion reduced in rthickness extending outward substantially to the transverse plane of the axis ofthe pin, whereby collapsing is permitted with- Y out increase in length ofsaid solid link.

3. In a trolley conveyer chain of the type comprising solid, Ylongitudinally slotted links alternating with links formed of spaced side bars also longitudinally slotted, together with headedppinsV for insertion through the slots in said links inV one position and having interlocking engagementV with said spaced side barswhen in anotherv position; Va solid link provided with a central portion for engagement with a trolley hangenslottedpor- Vtions on opposite sides ofsaid central portion lim- Y itedin width for engagement with rsaid side bars and headed pins, and portionsat the ends of said Y Vlink of .gifeatervwidth for. holding said 'headed pins Vin interlockingengagementrwith said side' bars, the latter portions terminating substantially in thetransverse plane of the axis of the pin to leave sufiicient space between the sameand said hanger'for the engagement and disengagement"V of said pins and side bars, without increasing the total length of said solid linkr LEQNARD J BISHOP. 

